Still haven’t found what we’re looking for

Being vegan, you’d think eating out would have its challenges, and at times it does. When travelling, the added challenge of a language barrier can make the overall experience of eating out daunting.

Fortunately, between my French skills, some patience, my secret weapon and a love of bread, we’ve been able to eat our fill without concern.

Today we stopped at a roadside café halfway between Casablanca and Marrakesh for lunch, and later found a highly recommended joint in Marrakesh that was not a tourist trap. In both cases we were able to eat a full, healthy, nutritious meal. But not knock your socks off good.

Maybe I’ve hyped it up too much in my own mind, and the expectations have outpaced reality, but so far the food in Morocco has been okay, not bad tasting but nothing spectacular. Everything I’ve had so far (with one exception) has been fairly bland. Add some spicy condiment, sprinkle some salt and curry powder, and it improves, but the baseline is almost banal.

I must, however, give credit where it’s due – the service at every location but one (which ironically was the one most tourist-oriented) has been outstanding. The staff at each location has been friendly, helpful and enthusiastic. Add in the quality of the bread and olives, and the people-watching, and the net result is consistently positive.

I’m still hopeful that I’ll have my taste buds blown away before we finish our time in Morocco.